Sarkis

France

Biography

Sarkis Zabunyan, known as SARKIS, was born in 1938 into an Armenian family in Istanbul. In 1964 he moved to Paris, where he has lived and worked ever since.
In 1969 he starts working on installations and in 1975 he purposes the concept of “Kriegsschatz” (Spoils of War), an artwork that reflect his past and his memories.
Since 1987 he works on the concept of “interpretation des oeuvres et leur mise-en scène”, referring to an artwork that is living an unending movement.
In 1997 he starts shooting movies about the concept of “direct creation” and at now, more then a hundred videos has already been shouted.
Between 1980 and 1990 he funds and manages the “Département Art à l’Ecole des Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg” and works with “Institut des Hautes Etudes en Arts Plastiques” managed by Pontus Hulten.
Since 2000 he teaches with his “Ecole Mobile”.

He already exposed in more then 200 cities in France, Germany, India, China, Japan, North and South America, Norway, Denmark, Armenia, Turkey…

Video Installations / Personal Exhibitions

  • 2007 Inclinasion : Musée Bourdelle, Paris
  • 2007 Rencontre avec Uccello, Grünewald, Munch, Beuys: Musée du Louvre
  • 2006 Alive and After : San Francisco Art Institute
  • 2005 A milestone, Aksanat, Istanbul
  • 2004 « 148 IKONAS » : Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf
  • 1995 Dialogues de Paix,  Palais des Nations, ONU, Genève
  • 1989 Les Magiciens de la Terre, Centre Georges Pompidou 1982 DOCUMENTA VII,  Kassel
  • 1977 DOCUMENTA VI,  Kassel
  • 1969 Quand les Attitudes deviennent Formes, Kunsthalle Bern, Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld, I.C.A, Londres.

Major awards

  • 1967 Prix de la peinture à la  Biennale de Paris
  • 1991 Grand prix National de sculpture